Among the balloons that exploded during this super-heated summer was the intensifying debate over the worth of psychotropic medications. We try to weigh the risks of psychoactive drug treatment against the risks of forgoing treatment.

Pressure is mounting on the NHS to widen the use of a 'wonder' drug for hundreds of thousands of severe asthma sufferers after a new study showed it could banish the use of other treatments which cause heart disease, diabetes and blindness.